Manuel Kulisch - Product Owner (Freelancer) - Intelligent Personal Assistant

Q: Where is Manuel based?

Manuel is based in Munich, Germany and can operate in on-site , hybrid , and remote work models.

Q: What languages does Manuel speak?

Manuel speaks the following languages: German (Native), English (Advanced) .

Q: How many years of experience does Manuel have?

Manuel has at least 10 years of experience. During this time, Manuel has worked in at least 8 different roles and for 5 different companies . The average length of individual experience is 1 year and 3 months . Note that Manuel may not have shared all experience and actually has more experience.

Q: What is Manuel's latest experience?

Manuel's most recent position is Product Owner (Freelancer) - Intelligent Personal Assistant at BMW Group .

Q: What companies has Manuel worked for in recent years?

In recent years, Manuel has worked for BMW Group , ZF Friedrichshafen AG , Digital Charging Solutions (JV of BMW, Daimler, and BP) .

Q: Which industries is Manuel most experienced in?

Manuel is most experienced in industries like Automotive , Energy , and Information Technology (IT) . Manuel also has some experience in Retail and Aerospace and Defense .

Q: Which business areas is Manuel most experienced in?

Manuel is most experienced in business areas like Product Development , Information Technology (IT) , and Project Management . Manuel also has some experience in Strategy and Planning .

Q: Which industries has Manuel worked in recently?

Manuel has recently worked in industries like Automotive , Energy , and Information Technology (IT) .

Q: Which business areas has Manuel worked in recently?

Manuel has recently worked in business areas like Product Development , Information Technology (IT) , and Project Management .

Recommended expert

Munich, Germany

Experience

Feb 2025 - Present

1 year

Munich, Germany

Product Owner (Freelancer) - Intelligent Personal Assistant

BMW Group

Driving the evolution of BMW’s in-car assistant by developing the proactive proposals framework, enabling context-aware, personalized suggestions based on behavioral patterns, vehicle data, and environmental context
Bridging business vision and technical implementation to shape AI-driven in-car experiences, combining heuristic logic, embedded systems integration, and LLM-based assistant components
Collaborating with HMI, backend, AI teams, and feature domain owners across the entire vehicle to align roadmap, data flow, and UX strategy, ensuring consistency across touch-points and scalability across future vehicle generations

Jul 2024 - Jan 2025

7 months

Product Owner (Freelancer) - Automotive Security

BMW Group

Drove product ownership for Digital Key features, coordinating development across mobile apps, vehicle backend, and cloud infrastructure, in close collaboration with Apple and other smartphone providers, to enable secure and seamless keyless access
Interfaced with internal security, telematics, and connectivity domains to ensure compliance with platform security standards, OEM specifications, and interoperability across vehicle models
Supported architectural decisions and integration of secure communication protocols (e.g. UWB, BLE, secure elements), facilitating cross-functional collaboration between system architects, developers, and external partners
Acted as central point of contact for cross-domain clarification, translating complex technical dependencies into actionable requirements and roadmap priorities

Apr 2023 - Dec 2023

9 months

Program Manager (Freelancer) - Autonomous Driving

ZF Friedrichshafen AG

Shaped the product vision and value propositions for an infrastructure-as-a-service (IaaS) platform supporting the development and validation of AI/ML algorithms in autonomous driving and beyond
Defined use cases and strategic positioning for a scalable, multi-cloud–capable platform providing data ingestion (e.g. camera and sensor data), labeling workflows, job orchestration, and HIL testing support
Identified and validated cross-industry customer segments with similar AI infrastructure needs, including predictive maintenance and industrial automation
Facilitated OKR processes and managed the Epic and Feature roadmap to align development with business strategy and emerging market opportunities
Advised on pricing and budget strategy to ensure commercial viability and stakeholder buy-in

Jun 2021 - Apr 2023

1 year 11 months

Head of Software Development - E-Mobility

Digital Charging Solutions (JV of BMW, Daimler, BP)

Oversaw the development of a multi-brand EV charging platform used by over 150,000 drivers in 25+ countries, in collaboration with OEMs including BMW, Audi, Mercedes, and VW
Led a department of ~60 internal and external engineers, architects, product owners, and scrum masters, ensuring delivery excellence and technical alignment
Reorganized 130+ product and development staff from component-based to cross-functional, end-to-end teams, resulting in a 30% increase in productivity and faster delivery cycles
Planned budgets and resource allocation, and supported talent acquisition in collaboration with HR and tech leadership
Managed strategic external partnerships and drove the internalization of key technology functions to strengthen long-term delivery capabilities

Sep 2018 - May 2021

2 years 9 months

Software Development & Platforms Program Manager - E-Mobility

Digital Charging Solutions (JV of BMW, Daimler, BP)

Planned and managed the development roadmap and implementation of product features, including the carve-out of BMW’s internal charging solution (ChargeNow) into a white-label, multi-tenant cloud SaaS platform laying the foundation for external OEM adoption
Coordinated 7 external development teams across Europe, enhancing collaboration and integration across a growing product organization
Implemented a hierarchical prioritization system, translating business goals into Epics and Stories
Designed and implemented scaled agile processes (SAFe), facilitating WSJF prioritization and PI Plannings with 100+ participants

Oct 2017 - Aug 2018

11 months

Group Product Owner Consumer Apps - E-Commerce

MediamarktSaturn Retail Concepts

Managed the consumer apps team with 16 members (engineers and product managers), overseeing iOS and Android apps for MediaMarkt and Saturn in 8 countries, and planned Epic and Feature roadmaps
Increased app revenue by several million Euros per annum through strategic feature development and conversion optimization
Implemented a hypothesis and KPI-based prioritization and implementation method, enabling rapid feedback cycles through A/B testing against defined KPIs

Jan 2017 - Sep 2017

9 months

Product Owner - Aviation

Accenture Technology Solutions

Conceptualized and evaluated the feasibility of internal mobile apps for communication in ground operations and ground handling for Lufthansa
Gathered and modeled business requirements, synchronizing them with stakeholders from different departments
Conducted UX research to ensure accessible use of mobile apps for various internal user groups
Developed architectural solution designs for different cost scenarios, aligning with stakeholder expectations
Coordinated offshore development teams, ensuring timely and efficient delivery of app solutions

Apr 2015 - Dec 2016

1 year 9 months

Hybrid

Lead App Developer - Energy Supplier

Accenture Technology Solutions

Developed three hybrid mobile consumer applications with 200k+ users for E.ON, serving as lead developer and co-product owner
Made architectural design decisions to ensure scalability and performance
Trained new developers and conducted code reviews to maintain high development standards
Conceptualized the user journey and UX design to enhance user engagement
Wrote user stories and managed the product backlog to ensure alignment with business goals

Summary

Strategic product leader with over 15 years of experience in building and scaling digital platforms across the e-mobility, automotive, energy, and e-commerce sectors. Skilled in leading cross-functional teams, shaping AI-enabled user experiences, and translating business needs into scalable, value-driven technology products. Proven track record in driving innovation at the intersection of product strategy, emerging technologies, and organizational impact.

Skills

Product Leadership

Shaping Digital Product Strategy
Crafting Compelling Product Visions
Defining Value Propositions
Mapping Customer Journeys
Setting Market-driven Features
Determining Mvps

Development Leadership

Technical Strategy
Leading Development Teams
Technical Consulting
Establishing Development Standards
Defining Roles And Team Structures
Setting Up Agile Environments
Ensuring Built-in Quality
Architectural Oversight

Strategic Alignment

Synchronising Development With Business Objectives
Implementing Prioritisation Frameworks
Using Okrs And Kpis For Strategic Tracking
Translating Business Strategies Into Actionable Development Goals

Agile & Product Management Methodologies

Lean Product
Scrum
Kanban
Safe
Okrs
Design Thinking
Systems Thinking
Team Topologies
Epic And Feature Roadmapping
Pi Planning
Wsjf

Ai Product Experience

Ai And Llm Integration
Rag
Generative Ai–enabled Ux
Ai-driven Customer Experience
Llm-based System Design

Software Development And Platforms

Openai Api
Google Dialogflow
Google Dataflow
Vertex Ai Studio
Java
Node.js
Angular
React
Next.js
Javascript
Typescript
Python
Swift
Android
Ios
Rest
Oauth2
Openid Connect
Google Firebase
Google Cloud Platform
Azure
Aws
Docker
Kubernetes
Vercel

Tools

Git
Github Copilot
Xcode
Visual Studio Code
Postman
Google Analytics
Power Bi
Mixpanel
Jira
Advanced Roadmaps
Confluence
Azure Devops Boards
Miro

Languages

German

Native

English

Advanced

Education

University of Applied Science Munich

Bachelor of Science · Computer Science · Munich, Germany

Certifications & licenses

CPRE-FL

HarvardX CS50 AI

ISTQB CTFL

PSM I

PSPO I

SAFe (6.0) RTE

Profile

Created

March 2024

Last Update

July 2025

Need a freelancer? Find your match in seconds.

Try FRATCH GPT

Frequently asked questions

Do you have questions? Here you can find further information.

Where is Manuel based?

Manuel is based in Munich, Germany and can operate in on-site, hybrid, and remote work models.

What languages does Manuel speak?

Manuel speaks the following languages: German (Native), English (Advanced).

How many years of experience does Manuel have?

Manuel has at least 10 years of experience. During this time, Manuel has worked in at least 8 different roles and for 5 different companies. The average length of individual experience is 1 year and 3 months. Note that Manuel may not have shared all experience and actually has more experience.

What roles would Manuel be best suited for?

Based on recent experience, Manuel would be well-suited for roles such as: Product Owner (Freelancer) - Intelligent Personal Assistant, Product Owner (Freelancer) - Automotive Security, Program Manager (Freelancer) - Autonomous Driving.

What is Manuel's latest experience?

Manuel's most recent position is Product Owner (Freelancer) - Intelligent Personal Assistant at BMW Group.

What companies has Manuel worked for in recent years?

In recent years, Manuel has worked for BMW Group, ZF Friedrichshafen AG, Digital Charging Solutions (JV of BMW, Daimler, and BP).

Which industries is Manuel most experienced in?

Manuel is most experienced in industries like Automotive, Energy, and Information Technology (IT). Manuel also has some experience in Retail and Aerospace and Defense.

Which business areas is Manuel most experienced in?

Manuel is most experienced in business areas like Product Development, Information Technology (IT), and Project Management. Manuel also has some experience in Strategy and Planning.

Which industries has Manuel worked in recently?

Manuel has recently worked in industries like Automotive, Energy, and Information Technology (IT).

Which business areas has Manuel worked in recently?

Manuel has recently worked in business areas like Product Development, Information Technology (IT), and Project Management.

What is Manuel's education?

Manuel holds a Bachelor in Computer Science from University of Applied Science Munich.

Does Manuel have any certificates?

Manuel has 6 certificates. Among them, these include: CPRE-FL, HarvardX CS50 AI, and ISTQB CTFL.

What is the availability of Manuel?

Manuel is immediately available full-time for suitable projects.

What is the rate of Manuel?

Manuel's rate depends on the specific project requirements. Please use the Meet button on the profile to schedule a meeting and discuss the details.